


Stranded || Niall Horan AU

by prismdreams



Category: One Direction (Band), niall horan - Fandom
Genre: Airports, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Cute Niall Horan, Declarations Of Love, Depression, Dublin (City), F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Ireland, Lonely Niall Horan, Love, Love Confessions, Love at First Sight, MD, Non-Famous Niall Horan, POV Female Character, POV Niall Horan, POV Original Character, Romance, Sex, Smut, Stranded, Winter, Work In Progress, mature - Freeform, medical doctor - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:34:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28080003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prismdreams/pseuds/prismdreams
Summary: "Do you have to go?" Niall asked her."I'm don't know, I'm supposed to. My flight leaves soon.""Stay a little longer. Will ya?"Ciara bit her lip, blushing. The word "yes" seemed like the easiest answer she made right now.Full summary inside. NiallxOC. AU.
Relationships: Niall Horan & Original Female Character(s), Niall Horan/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary:**

Ciara Samera took a trip at the last minute to Dublin, Ireland for a project she had her eyes on for a long time. Now that it fell through, she had to go back to her reality of pushing paper and stamping time clocks. Leaving Ireland was the plan until she couldn't, or, just simply, _wouldn't_.

Niall Horan took a well-deserved holiday break, not expecting much attention from his colleagues. This time a year brought on bittersweet feelings, ones he'd like to forget and drown himself in the nearest whiskey bottle or two. He began his routine like any other holiday season until he found his purpose again.

NiallxOC. AU.

* * *

  


* * *

Ciara Samera realized she was stranded at the airport after hearing the delay for her flight was indefinite. They might as well have said it was canceled. She blew her brunette bangs out of her eyes, further shivering in the Dublin International Airport beyond her tolerance level.

It was just her luck, being stuck in a foreign place days before Christmas Day. Her family was going to kill her for something she had no control over. Maybe being over her family's wasn't the best idea and this was a sign.

She observed many patrons rightly pissed off and berating flight attendants to do something about it. But as usual, their plastic smiling and phony explanations, typical of their behavior here as it were if she was trying to get out of LAX, didn't contribute anything but more tension. Whatever happened to the Irish charm many have spoken about here? It's nonexistent, there are just as many assholes here as there were in New York.

She turned around, realizing that no one had any answers, if she was going to be stuck in Dublin, she'd better get a hotel room until they called her to fly back home.

Her phone rang, she answered, "Hey, I'm stuck here, yeah. I can't make any promises. There's a snowstorm really coming in strong, 30 below. I don't know, no idea when it's going to end. Probably find a hotel for the night. First gotta get my stuff. Yeah, I'll call you if anything changes. Sorry, not sorry, it's not my fault. Tell me about it? Okay, bye."

She clicked off and walked out of the boarding area to the luggage terminal where they were falling down the conveyor belt. She grabbed it before it dropped and wheeled it to the flight attendant kiosk. No word yet, they were still giving her the same answers as before.

She checked her phone, seeing it needed charging. She plugged it in and surfed the net for the nearest hotel.

Everything was fully booked, of course, it was. Ciara bit her lip and kept searching until she found a bed and breakfast that was moderately affordable. One problem, it was 35 miles away from the airport, and the snowstorm wasn't showing any signs of stopping. It seemed to be gaining speed as time ticked by.

She wasn't going to call her family, no way. And admit she was unlucky again? Not a chance in hell, they'd feed off of this and take turns trying to ridicule her. Italian families like hers just have no off switch, they fight, that's how they breathe.

She sighed and charged her phone for a little bit as she slunk down, softly bashing her head against the wall, barely feeling anything at the moment. Being trapped here couldn't happen at a worse time. In Ireland of all places, she wasn't even going to touch the irony there.

She checked her phone and researched a car rental. Maybe she could drive there while the storm calmed down, wishful thinking. It was the only idea she had, the other one was sleeping in one of the many uncomfortable leather chairs until they pinged her for a green light. She wanted to avoid the latter. No way she was going to sleep in a strange place with no protection.

For such a supposed busy airport it looked half empty. Travelers must have planned their trips weeks in advance. If anyone was stupid enough to leave in the week of Christmas, it was people like her.

She grabbed her phone and suitcase, walking to the nearest food court. Fast food was the best thing she could do, _Nandos_ , or whatever it was called, basically, KFC from her world. It was going to have to do for now.

After she finished, she plugged her phone in again to charge it up completely. She didn't expect to have a virtually dead phone and be here for the rest of the night. It was getting closer to evening, and Ciara worried that time was wasting away.

She charged her phone for another few minutes and made a call to a car rental company for something affordable and convenient. They sounded surprised she called and made sure she really wanted a rental. She had driven in a snowstorm before, being from New York, she knew what the risk was. She hoped it wasn't that bad. From the window, it looked drivable. Maybe if she was careful and drove at a reasonable pace. She could handle it.

She called the bed and breakfast and asked them to hold a room for her to stay in for the night. They were nice and cordial, at least that part was covered. She'd have a place to stay at the very least. The rental was coming in 10 minutes, possibly more, they were unclear about the exact time. All she knew was she couldn't stay here for long. She had to get out of there, soon.

Another 5 minutes until they called her early to come down to claim her vehicle. She jumped as her phone chime and checked it.

They called her to confirm it was her and she told them she would meet them in the loading zone. She huffed, pulling her phone out of the charge, seeing she had about 25% left on its battery. Of course, it barely charged anything. She rolled her eyes. She was running out of time and it was getting colder. No way she'd cancel this car and bundle up in the drafty airport.

She made it outside and was hit with a sharp gust of frosted wind. The worst kind, the one that froze you on the spot without warning. This was against her perception, she didn't expect it to be _this_ cold. New York's iciest weather didn't hit until New Year's, Ireland suddenly felt like Antarctica. Ciara huddled her shoulders, securing her windbreaker making sure the zipper went the highest it will go, and fastened her scarf tightly around her neck.

The keys were handed to her by the attendant and a second car picked up the staffer, driving him away. She checked the car out and gave a disgusted face. This was the best they could do? It was too small and dated, she prayed the engine at least worked.

She loaded her stuff inside the backseat and hurried to the front seat to turn on the car, revving up the engine and immediately turning on the heater. She peered to the fuel tank and realized the idiot who brought her the car didn't fill it up. Rolling her eyes, she had to put up with it until she found a rest stop.

She checked her phone, the nearest rest stop was 15 miles away. Could she make it? One way to find out.

She pulled the gear and drove carefully, turning on her defroster and windshield wipers, the frost was making it increasingly difficult to see anything, even with the assistance, but Ciara was desperate. She'd give anything for a good night's rest if she wasn't leaving this place. Checking the time revealed another 5 minutes until the rest time, she managed to weave and turn the incredibly narrow roads in the countryside of Dublin.

 _Why does every road in rural Ireland have to be so long and windy?_ She thought. Driving around another steep pathway she made a sharp turn and spotted what looked like a cottage leading up on a snow-covered hill. She switched her phone on and noticed it died right in front of her.

"Perfect," she groaned.

She pulled off carefully to the side of the road and switched off the engine. Sighing, she collapsed in front of the wheel. She couldn't sleep here, that wasn't ideal. Her best bet was the cottage, which looked fairly alive. Did a family live there? It seemed so as it had semi-light an orange glow emanating from one of the windows.

She was out of options, praying whoever lived here wasn't a murderer or extremely senile in mind. She had a feeling some older lady lived here, no way it wouldn't have a huge family. She took out the keys and slowly opened the door, locking it before, bundling up, walking the hill that led to the front of the cottage. The storm wasn't close to slowing down, time was of the essence.

She was about to lift up her hand to knock when the door flung open to reveal a young man, blond, sapphire blue eyes and glasses that seemed to slide down his face. Her eyes scaled to meet his, she wasn't expecting someone that looked her age living here.

"Hello," she managed, her teeth chattering.

* * *

Niall Horan made a fresh pot of black tea, as he checked the messages from his inbox. Just a couple, nothing too bombastic, he didn't expect his colleagues to form anything beyond simple normalities, goes with the territory of working in medicine.

He was about to sit down to read in his bedroom when he heard a noise, even in the storm, it sounded like a car door slamming shut. He peered outside and saw a figure, a young woman with long brunette hair, struggling to push through the harsh winds of the storm.

 _This doesn't look right, who is she?_ He asked himself.

Almost instantly, he turned around and made his way down the stairs, the wooden boards creaked as he went for the door, pulling it open as he caught sight of the woman, who stopped midway with her fist in the air, about to knock.

His glasses almost slid down his nose again, but he didn't care. He moved forward, watching the woman in peril from the frosty weather.

"Hello," she said through gritted teeth, her full lips merging away from their natural color.

"Christ. Are ya alright?" He asked, moving closer, but she huddled her shoulders.

"Sorry if you're busy, umm, but, can I please use your phone? Mine just died."

Niall took a moment to react, moving aside to make room to invite her in, he was starting to get cold himself. "Sure, umm, yeah, come in. Are ya okay?"

She nodded, moving slowly until she was completely inside, "Thanks," her voice shook and she couldn't feel her face suddenly. "Umm, sorry, where is it?"

"Oh, right." Niall said, flustered for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck, "In the kitchen. Here, uh, you can use mine. It's a local call?"

"Yeah...oh, sorry..." her voice faded as she lost consciousness, falling forward, but Niall caught her strongly in his arms.

He carried her to the couch, placing her down, removing her boots. He grabbed the electric blanket, placing it over her body, switching it on to the highest setting.

Sighing, he sat across from her uncertain who she was and what was going on, but he stayed by her side to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

Ciara's eyes fluttered open, groaning as she realized she might have been back home, in New York. The couch wasn't as soft as she remembered nor did she recall buying an electric blanket. Was she dreaming? Maybe...she blinked, focusing in front of her. She gasped, this wasn't her apartment, it was a _house!_ Not hers.

She attempted to sit up slowly when her breath caught in her throat. She felt a presence in the room. Her eyes turned toward the figure walking toward her. It was the guy from before, wearing glasses, carrying two steaming hot mugs toward the coffee table. He placed them down and stared at her, smiling softly. His blond hair tousled as he sat.

"Ugh, what happened?" She asked, rubbing her eyes, her makeup was long gone.

"Well, you were outside, came to me doorstep, and asked to use me phone and then you fainted, possibly from the cold weather. Are feeling dizzy? Shortness of breath? Panic attacks?"

Ciara forced herself to sit all the way up, pulling the scorching blanket from her body, "Dizzy? Yes. Breathing? Yeah. Panic? Hell yeah, I've had them all my life."

Niall moved closer to examine her face, with a phone in his hand, he held up a flashlight, "May I?"

Niall switched off the heat on the blanket and stared at her, trying to find her trust, "It's alright, just wanna check out your eyes for any redness."

"Okay," She nodded, watching him turn the light briefly in each eye, looking relieved.

"No redness, that's a good sign. Normally with dizzy spells, blood often rushes to the eyes. Seems like you had a panic attack triggered by the cold, a gateway to other serious conditions. First things first, are you warm enough now?"

Ciara found it difficult to speak, this man's eyes kept calling to her. She licked her lips, nodding, "Yeah, very."

He nodded, biting his lip, not completely convinced she was out of the woods, "We need to get your body temperature up so you don't slip into hypothermia. It's, uh, caused by the body shutting down from the extreme cold." He said, fixing his glasses that slipped down his nose.

Ciara smiled briefly, "Right, sounds like something a doctor would say."

"That's because I am a doctor."

She gave a curious look, parting her lips in an "oh" shape.

"Resident," he said, smiling briefly. "I'm only a year in the practice. Sometimes I make house calls, but those are rare." He said, rambling a little.

 _He looked so young to be a doctor_ , she thought. She would have never guessed it.

"Well, just my luck I guess," she said, blushing. "Oh sorry, gotta stop using that word."

He smiled sheepishly, "I have some tea here if you want it," he said, bringing up one of the mugs, still steaming hot.

"Oh?" She inquired, sitting up straighter. "Thank you, you're so nice."

His eyes shifted nervously as he handed her the tea, "Careful, blow on it if you need to. I prefer to drink it hot, unsure if it might be a little too much for ya."

She took it and followed his directions, the fusion of the tea leafs were mint and honey, almost something she'd sip on if she had a sore throat. She slowly sipped, feeling his eyes on her. She sipped another, feeling the herbs begin to work their magic already, and handed him the mug when it was halfway done.

"I appreciate this, umm, I'm sorry. I just realized I don't know your name."

He smiled, a dimple appeared, making him look boyish and slightly impish, "I'm Niall, what's yours?"

She placed her hand down, not realizing his hand was close, she covered it halfway, "Ciara, I don't know anyone named Niall, but it seems so common here in Ireland."

"You get used to it, suppose. Ciara is a beautiful name, met a few. It suits you."

She smiled shyly, "Why? What does it mean?"

Niall sat next to her, holding her eyes with his, "In Gaelic, it means "little dark one," something of that nature."

She blushed, touching her hair out of nervous habit. "Sounds about right, especially the "little" part."

Niall laughed softly, stretching his arm across the back of the couch, and then instantly pulled away. "Oh sorry, I do that sometimes."

Ciara put her hands up in protest, "No, umm, it's fine, it's your couch. Here," she scooted away to give him more space. "I'm in your way, here's more room."

He hadn't meant for her to move away, now he felt like he scared her. "It's alright," he said, moving closer, placing his arm in the back of the couch again. His hand practically touching her shoulder and she stared at it.

She backed away until she was firmly against the corner of the couch. There was nowhere to go but down. She tensed, why was she so nervous? Had it been that long since she'd been with someone? Apparently so.

She felt her shoulders and noticed her windbreaker was gone, she was in thermals and scarf. "Where's my jacket?"

Niall gestured behind her toward the front door where the coatrack stood, "It was soaked so I hung it up to dry. Your clothes were dampened as well. But I didn't feel right taking them off without your consent."

She felt her clothes and they were stiff, which meant they were soaked through, he was right. _Perfect, it's not like I could ask him to wash them for me_ , she thought. "Oh, thank you. Umm, I think I asked you about a phone. Oh, umm, mine is dead. Is it okay to use yours to make a quick call? I'll be on my way after."

"In the storm?"Niall asked her, frowning slightly but stood up, "Yeah, I'll go fetch it for ya."

Ciara nodded politely, watching him disappear around the corner toward the kitchen. He came out with an iPhone in his hand, placing the device in front of her eyes.

"Take your time," he said softly, sitting down beside her, moving closer when she wasn't looking.

She smiled at him as she looked up the car rental company's name, dialing their number.

"Hello? Yes, my name is Ciara. Last name? Samera. Well, the problem is you guys gave me a car that was already low on gas. It just stalled right now. Look, can you send me another car or...? I see, well, really? Yeah, I'm using someone else's phone, mine died so you can't reach me. You can reach me temporarily on this one," she said, pulling the phone away, staring at Niall. "What's your address?"

Niall held out his hand for the phone, Ciara gave it to him and he put it to his ear, "Hey man, yeah. Me address is 1435 Kerrygold Road, just after the City Centre. Alright, no worries. Yup, this number works. Me friend needs to charge her cell. Will do, later, see ya soon."

"So? How long for the fuel?"

His mouth twitched, "At the very least 2 hours. They're waiting the storm out. It's probably the safest way."

Ciara pressed her lips in a thin line, "Figured. Great, what a fantastic place to be unlucky."

"Well, it's not that bad, did you wanna charge your phone in the meantime?"

"Yeah," she said, then scoffed as she remembered something. "It's in my suitcase, still in the car."

"Oh, I'll get it. Did you want me to bring your suitcase in case you wanna change clothes?"

Her mouth hung open, she closed it, "Umm, you don't have to, but if it's easier. It's not necessary."

"No trouble at all. Be right back," Niall said, standing up to get his coat. "Oh yeah, need yeh keys for the opening part."

Ciara blushed and dug her hand in her pocket, pulling them out and handed them to Niall from the couch.

He smiled and pushed his glasses. "Thanks, love, I'll go get it now."

She watched him run back to the door, fling it open and shut as he walked back to her rental. This was so unbelievably embarrassing for her, too humiliating. But this guy Niall didn't seem to mind. She got the feeling that he wouldn't mind if she stayed for a bit, or at least until the fuel came. She's got a few hours to kill, she would just have to wait it out until help arrived.

The door suddenly flew open as Niall brought in her suitcase and immediately shut the door. He sounded out of breath but he sobered up enough to send her a look as if to say he's okay. "Got it!"

She stood up, moving slowly as she watched him throw off his jacket and stand up her suitcase. "Wow, umm, thank you. Are you okay?"

Niall slipped off his boots and removed his scarf, hanging it up on top of the coatrack. "Yeah, didn't expect that to literally blow me away. It's amazing nothing surprises with this weather. Now I know how you feel."

She smiled biting her lip, "Sorry, it's pretty bad out there. Who knows how long they're going to take now? I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the day is canceled just like my flight back."

He sighed, "Be ready for it. If the flights are canceled, not much else is stays open. You're welcome to change if you like. The toilet is upstairs if you need a shower. Towels are in the cabinet on the left."

Now she felt like she was truly ruining his day, but he was being so casual about it, which didn't make a lot of sense, "Wow, this is...so generous. I just met you, it's crazy how this day is turning out."

"You don't have to, it's just an option. Whenever I'm cold, that's what I would do. It helps keep you warm, for sure."

"Right, that's obvious, showers do that."

For a moment, they didn't say anything and just stood, looking at each other. Ciara broke the staring, biting her lip as her cheeks flushed.

"Well, I'll go up to change, thank you again," she said, fishing out her charger and plugged her phone in to finally charge it to where she wanted.

He nodded, bowing his head shyly, giving her space so she can unzip her suitcase and grab some clothes to wear for the night. Ciara checked what she had and looked around, Niall was gone, like he just vanished out of thin air. She zipped her case up and jogged upstairs to the bathroom, placing the clothes on the side as she switched on the light.

This was officially the cleanest bathroom she'd ever been in, even hotel bathrooms couldn't compare. Looked like everything was organized in its place with meticulous care. It didn't seem like a guy's bathroom, it made her feel safer than she thought.

She stripped off her clothes and placed them away. She took out her hair tie and let it down. She approached the shower, walked inside, and slid the door shut. Switching on the hot water, she adjusted the temperature, feeling much better as she stood face first under the showerhead, letting the hot water cascade down her body, smothering her in a heated caressing comfort.

After she finished, she rinsed off and grabbed the towel to dry her hair and fastened it around her body, clothing her eyes in its warmth and softness. She spotted a comb and ran it through her hair, bringing it all together in a side braid.

She looked like a virgin but this was the go-to look she was used to, and it was the best she could do.

* * *

Niall stared upstairs as Ciara went up to take a shower, trying to distract himself from not making a fool in front of another beautiful woman. This was why he was alone, especially during the holidays. His last relationship was over 4 years ago, to him, it felt longer. He lost her before he went to medical school. His high school sweetheart, gone without a goodbye.

Maybe his loneliness was consuming him, but he didn't want Ciara to leave, looked like tonight he might get his wish if the storm wouldn't cease.

His phone rang and he answered it without looking at the ID.

"Hello? Yeah, it's Niall. Oh, okay, so, you're not coming at all tonight? Too dangerous, got it. Well, how is Ciara gonna go—? Reimbursed? Oh, well, she's fine over here for now. Tomorrow morning maybe later in the afternoon? The storm's unpredictable, man. Sure, anything can happen," he said, staring upstairs. "Yeah, okay, I'll tell her. Thanks for calling, bye."

She was staying, now she didn't have much of a choice. He wasn't going to force her but he took one look outside, seeing the strong frosty wind blow the snowfall around in every direction. He was happy she was probably going to stay but he didn't want to disappoint her. How could he feel this way about someone he just met? It wasn't possible.

He didn't realize he was gripping the pillow and released it, taking a deep breath. He was barely watching the TV as he heard the shower turn off. He sighed, waiting until she was dressed to share with her the bad news. Of course, she wouldn't want to actually stay here by choice. She'd rather be somewhere else, Niall felt like either way, telling or not, he was going to wreck her plans.

He turned around when he heard the door open and she emerged from the hallway, at the top of the staircase. They locked eyes for a moment before Ciara moved down carrying her dirty clothes in her hand. Niall stood up and met her at the bottom.

"Well, that was probably the best shower ever. Thanks," she said, smiling.

"I'm glad," he said, nodding in agreement. "Got some bad news."

She raised her brow, "What happened?"

"Sorry to tell you this, they're not coming tonight, the guys coming to help ya. I feel awful telling ya, you deserved to know."

Her shoulders fell, hazel brown eyes downcast, "Perfect, as if this day can't get any worse. Did they say when they were coming?"

"All I got was tomorrow mid-day, more or less. They were unclear on when. The weather tomorrow would determine exactly when they're coming. They said they were going to reimburse you. So sorry, love."

She shrugged, solum and defeated, she moved past him to unzip her suitcase, placing the clothes in an empty compartment.

"I'm really sorry, Niall," she said, taking a seat on one of the carpeted stairs. "I don't mean to be this much trouble."

He took a seat next to her, watching her stare at him from the corner of her eye, "You're no trouble at all, don't think that. It wouldn't feel right to let you go outside, especially in this weather. Do ya hear me, love?"

Ciara turned to stare at him, her lips curving into a frown, shrugging, "I guess."

"It's not your fault, it's just an off day. Tomorrow might be looking up," he said, noticing her hair in a nice braid and the fresh clothes she wore. "You look really nice, by the way."

She smiled, looking down as her cheeks blushed, "I look plain, but thank you."

A small part of her fringe dropped down and Niall reached out to brush it away, almost letting his hand linger near her face. She caught his eyes, holding them in hers, he was beginning to drown before he could stop himself.

"You're beautiful, love. Don't think you aren't," he whispered, watching her eyes intently follow the direction of his hands as he dropped them on his lap.

She smiled thinly, suddenly finding it a challenge to breathe, "Just rare when anyone says that, besides my parents."

Niall found himself leaning forward but stopped himself short, moving away slightly, "Everyone is bleeding blind."

Ciara found her eyes scanning his face for any pretense, nothing, the sincerity was shining through almost as clear as his bedroom eyes staring back at her. Her breath caught in her throat, biting her lip, she saw his eyes drift to her mouth, scaling up to meet her eyes.

They were transfixed with each other. Perhaps, it was because Niall said she was beautiful but she felt an overwhelming sense to kiss him deeply right now. Mainly to settle a score with herself, and prove that she wasn't imagining anything. She had a feeling he might kiss back, a strong inkling that his big hands might cup her face and bring her down to him.

But she was living in a fantasy, fighting it was safer, at least she wouldn't risk getting hurt. "You're sweet, Niall."

He almost reached out again but pulled away when he heard a phone ringing, her phone. Ciara sighed, they were close, maybe just as well, she stood up and grabbed her cell, checking the ID.

"It's my family, God, had a feeling they would call me, especially if they knew I was on the plane like I was supposed to be." She said, her voice huffed and tired.

She answered it still, "Hey. Yeah, nope, everything's okay. Catching a flight tomorrow. Everyone's waiting for the snowstorm to fade away and make it safe to fly again. I'm safe, yes. Staying at a nice bed and breakfast," she lied, staring at Niall with a smile, he blushed, acting as if he wasn't listening in. No way she was going to tell them a stranger took her in after her piece of shit rental died on her. "Yeah...I'm sorry, nothing I can do about the weather. I know, the irony of being in Ireland, and on the day I leave, no luck to be found. Although, I sorta discovered you're not supposed to say that here. Luck of the Irish...hurts their feelings. No, I'll be outta here soon. The storm will eventually pass and I'll be home before the 25th. Of course, I love you guys. Alright, I'll call ya when I board. Thanks, bye." She concluded, clicking off and blowing out a breath she held.

"Ya alright?" Niall asked her, coming up behind her.

She nodded, putting her phone down, letting it charge to full battery, "Uhuh, they're just giving me shit. They've always been like that."

Niall narrowed his eyes, seeing her with a distant look as if a memory froze her in place. Still unsure if it's appropriate to touch her without asking, he held back before touching her hand that dangled at her side.

She turned around and realized how close he was, scaling her eyes to his, having that urge to allow him to do whatever he wanted to comfort her, which she very much needed. She didn't know how to ask him for it. Maybe it would make things awkward between them, especially if he turned her down.

She swallowed slowly, finding her voice, "Sorry, it's not your issue."

"I didn't mind, are you alright? Do you wanna chat about it?"

She sighed, finding her eyes on his lips as she shook her head, "No, just a bunch of nosey family members, that's all."

"Oh?" He said, looking relieved as he laughed softly, those adorable glasses sliding down his nose. Ciara felt the urge to... "I thought it was something serious. You scared me for a second there."

"Hahaha, no it's uh, they're just annoying. It's the southern side I can't seem to shake. Guess it's a stereotype where I come from."

Niall blushed, adjusting his glasses, "Now that ya mention it, I do hear the accent, especially on the phone just now. I'm the same. I definitely sound more Mullingar than Dublin. It's basically like your southern drawl y'all." Niall said, in a vague southern dialect.

She laughed, "Very funny you say that. I'm a Georgian girl, you just did a Texas accent. I feel so insulted." She placed her hand over her heart mockingly.

He rolled his eyes, hiding his embarrassment, "Whatever, close enough."

"Not at all. That's like saying whatever you're from, Mullingar was it? Is anything like Dublin, the accent I've been hearing since I came here."

"Fair play, well, that's that. Would ya like some dinner? Was planning on making it later but I don't mind starting on it early."

"Sure, can I help in any way?" She asked, following him into the kitchen.

"If you want to, don't have ta. Just the prep stuff, the rest is pretty easy."

She smiled, watching as he got everything out for the preparation, as he said. She smiled, watching him look extremely nerdy to the point of being sexy. She got distracted when he called out to her to assist with the vegetables. She joined him and began cutting up what needed to be, keeping one eye on him, the closeness and all.

Being near him didn't seem like such a bad day after all.


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

Ciara finished eating and wiped her mouth, taking a sip of her wine. Niall had already finished his and made eye contact with her every so often, she couldn't help but stare back. She sighed with a rise and fall of her shoulders. She sat back, staring at him as he looked at her.

"Thanks for all this, Niall. If it weren't for you I probably would have had something really quick and easy tonight, stuck in a dank airport."

He raised his brow and stood up to gather her plate with his, "Thank God for that. Are you finished? Would you like more?"

Ciara raised her arms in protest, rubbing her stomach for emphasis, "Oh no. I'm really fine, that was enough. I don't think I could eat anymore tonight, or _ever_."

He smiled, "Got room for dessert? I think I have an apple pie in there. Some whipped cream on top really hits the spot."

"When you put it like that...can't resist apple pie," she said, fluttering her lashes at him.

"Alright then, apple pie it is," he said and left to the kitchen.

She stood up and carried her wine glass, following him as he prepped the pie by warming it up in the oven. Niall turned around and gasped slightly.

"Oof, Christ, ya scared me. Here, I can take that," he offered, pointing to the wine glass in her hand.

"Thanks," she said, handing it to him as he placed it in the soapy water to soak. "It smells so good."

He smirked, turning to her as he kept one eye on the oven timer, "Yeah, ya start to smell everything as soon as it heats all up. One of me Mam's recipes from way back when. Miss her every day."

Ciara leaned against the counter, mirroring him as she creased her brows, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, of course. Just wishing she was around. I try to make a pie in her honor every Christmas. She loved to bake, too bad she was taken so soon."

She smiled sadly, she had no idea of his tragedy, she touched his arm, "I'm so sorry, can't imagine what you're feeling."

Niall nodded, not ready to let the emotions out quite this early. His glasses might be fogging up prior. The dam was breaking whether he cared to admit it or not.

"Me Dad didn't take it well, I haven't really seen him since he remarried. Me sister and brother have their families. She's the reason I studied medicine. So weird keeping traditions alive and not having someone to share them with," His mouth twitched as he looked at the timer, moving toward the oven, pulling it down. "About time, ya ready?"

She nodded, noticing his mood changing as soon as he began to open up. She figured. They barely knew each other, why would he trust her to share anything private? She was leaving tomorrow. She would have to not get too attached to him, he'd want that too.

He's just being nice, that's it. People from Ireland are polite, there was no reason to think it was beyond just normal hospitality. No matter how much she wanted him to be, she didn't belong here. New York was her home.

She joined Niall back at the dining table as he served them. She sampled a bite and closed her eyes at the richness.

"Wow, this is incredible. This is absolutely perfect. I don't think I've ever had a pie like this one. Not even from the bakeries in New York."

"I'm glad you like it. Was one of me favourites. You live in New York?"

She nodded, taking another bit, semi closing her eyes, "Well, Upper Westside. I'm not rich, but I got really fortunate to find something very nice near my work."

"What do you do for work?" He asked her, drinking a glass of milk as he finished his piece of the pie.

"Publications. I sat on the supervising chief editor position back home. Here, I just dared to dream a little too much. I actually tried to stay here longer because there was a project that I was attempting to get. Didn't work out. Somebody else got the job. Would have been nice to have a reason to stay for a while. Really _explore_ Ireland. There are old buildings and monuments in New York, but not like here. Shame it didn't work out the way I'd hoped."

Niall sighed softly, _so something was keeping her here, would it happen again if I pulled some strings?_ he thought. "But if it came back to you, this job opportunity, would you take it?"

Ciara held his eyes with her own shine, "I believe I would, definitely. I have a nice life in New York, sure. Safe, but, it's so beautiful here. The mountains, cliffs, and castles. Y'all have castles?! Feels like a dream, it's perfect. There's something...almost _magical_ about being here. I had the feeling when I first came to Dublin that you could raise a family here. Guess it was just a small notion I had, am I making sense?"

He nodded, loving how beautiful her hazel eyes seemed to glow under the dim over-light as she described her love for his homeland, "Yeah, you are. I feel the same way. The family thing hasn't worked out for me, but I definitely want to build something being here. Eventually."

She bit her lip, feeling like this conversation might be getting too deep, so she changed the subject. "Do you have a tree?"

He nodded, "It's in the living room. Started decorating but stopped."

"Well, if you don't mind, I could help you finish it." She offered, leaning her chin on her hand.

He took a sip of his drink, "Yeah? You'd do that?"

"Sure, it could be fun. I'm normally by myself anyway when I'm home, this could be a nice change. That okay?"

"Yeah, gonna clean up and turn on the dishwasher first. I'll meet you out in the living room," he almost winked as he stood up, carrying their plates.

He went to the kitchen and she followed behind him, "Can I help?"

He looked behind him and began getting the washer started, "Nah, there isn't much here. Seriously, I got this. Go meet me in the room, love."

Something about the way he said "love" that made her blush randomly, "Guess I'll save all my efforts for the tree, see ya there," she said in a flirty way, blushing harder as she turned around to walk toward the living room.

She saw what looked like a small, 5-6 foot full Christmas tree. It looked like it just had the lights fastened around, no ornaments or tinsel. She smiled, anticipating what they were going do, she had many ideas.

She crossed her arms and propped her chin over her palm in thought, "I wonder if he has any tinsel?"

"He does," Niall said, behind her carrying a small box and placed it on the coffee table. "I hardly put it but if you think it looks good, go ahead." He paused, "Oh wait, we need a stool."

He went to go fetch one and came back to put it below the box. "Here ya go. Alright, well, I can handle the higher stuff. No need for the lights, got it covered."

Ciara licked her lips, feeling nervous suddenly, "Well, I don't mind reaching the higher ones. I'm not _that_ short no matter what my name says."

He smiled, opening up the box, taking out the first ornament to hang up, "Well, best to be safe. Not saying you can't, I'm sure you can, I'm here if you need me to help. I may not be the tallest guy you're used to, but I'm tall enough."

She blushed, noticing his shorter than average stature for the first time, "I think you're fine, much taller than me, but I hardly noticed. Too busy looking at your eyes." Ciara's cheeks were on fire as she covered her face in embarrassment. "I mean, here, I'll join you."

Niall smiled as his own cheeks grew hot, he heard her right and snuck a peek at her while they continued putting each ornament one by one on each hanging branch stem. "You have amazing eyes too, the kind you could get lost in."

She grinned, sure he couldn't see her turn redder than she already was, "I doubt that. Wow, you have a lot of really glittery bulbs. I love these Santa and elf ones. They're so artistic, they look like they were handcrafted. So pretty."

"They were my Mam's, didn't have the heart to give them away. Me brother and sister didn't want them. Mam collected things like these all the time. She always said I should keep the tradition alive when I start a family. Irish Catholics, she definitely instilled many values in me life."

"Those kind of people are hard to come by," Ciara said, leaning against the wall, watching him place the higher trinkets. She moved when she thought he might lose his balance, but he steadied himself.

"I'm good, no worries, just showing you what _not_ to do," Niall said, smiling sheepishly.

"Right," she said sarcastically. "Be careful, the tree's not worth it."

He glanced at her through his lashes, seeing her rosy cheeks under the multicolored Christmas lights, her lips curving gently in concern. _She's looking mighty kissable, doesn't she?_ He asked himself. Restraining his urges, he distracted his attention to taking a look at the finished tree.

They stood back together and took in what they just decorated. Ciara didn't realize how close she was to him but she didn't move, she liked being near someone, even if he was a stranger. She wanted to hold his hand but held back, letting her loneliness get to her.

She's leaving, tomorrow, she'll be gone. There was no point in getting close to Niall. Besides all the sweet and kind things he has said and done, she doubted he felt the same.

"It looks so good. Wow, it's popped, hasn't it?" She commented, realizing it was too quiet in the room.

Niall turned to look at her, smiling warmly, "Yeah, it just got even more beautiful."

Ciara smiled, looking down, "Yeah, the tree is looking really...perfect." She looked at him.

They were closing in an unknown space when Niall's landline rang, they slowly pulled apart. Niall nodded, "Pardon a second," he said in a rushed tone and went to answer it.

Ciara touched her braid, sitting on the couch, and leaned back as she snuck another look at the tree. It really was a sight to see. She got up, took her phone up to snap a quick picture, and placed it down. She went over to the couch and sat back down, folding her leg up, feeling a slight draft. She shivered, seeing the dying fire simmer.

She stood up and nearly crashed into Niall as he steadied her.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."

"It's alright love, here, you can walk past. Sorry I was in your way." He said, moving away to give her space.

"I was just getting my sweater."

Niall looked behind her, "Oh, wow, didn't realize it finished. Noticed it was colder too. I'll get more logs and get it going again. Feel free to get your sweater if you like."

"Thank you," she said sweetly, moving to unzip her bag to get the bulky sweater she wore on extremely cold nights.

She pulled her long hair out and flipped it when she saw herself in the mirror. No makeup, just lip gloss and a half washed face, jet-lag eating under her eyes, she looked tired and 5 years older. She looked at her empty ring finger and sighed. It made sense, if it wasn't going to happen soon, then it may never happen. 30 is too old to be single. Every year was the same story.

She turned around and slowly walked around the couch to sit down, watching Niall place the last log on top of a new stack of wood. She was mesmerized by the burning flame, seeing him turn up the blaze to a steady crackle. She watched him make his way sit down beside her, staring down at the fire, feeling it seduce his senses, he seemed to be in his own world, maybe one she didn't belong in.

Or maybe...Niall turned to her, making his body face her as he leaned on one leg, similar to the way she sat.

"That is the strongest fire I got going. Might have gone a little overboard, just wanted to keep the house toasty as long as I can. Are ya feeling it?" He said, feeling his glasses begin to fog up, he cleaned them quickly.

"Yeah, it's definitely pretty strong," she said, playing around in her big sweater. "Might not need my sweater after all."

"Well, feel free to take it off," he winced, blushing. "I mean, if you're too hot, is all I'm saying."

Ciara followed his blush with her own, feeling more embarrassed she really made herself look foolish with the big sweater.

She obliged him and slipped it off her body, feeling her shirt slightly rise up. She hoped he didn't see anything, but if he was looking, it wasn't like she could stop him. She pulled her shirt down and moved some wisps of hair that fell in her eyes.

Niall avoided staring at the skin he just saw when Ciara lifted her sweater. His hand shook behind his back. He moved it to scratch the back of his neck, staring at the ground.

"Niall?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you okay?"

He shrugged, trying to be casual, "Of course. Yeah, do you need anything else?"

Ciara stared at his hands and smiled, flickering her eyes to him, "Everything is fine right now, thank you. Don't think I can say that enough."

He sighed, watching her fiddle with her hands, aching to hold them in his, "Let me know when it isn't."

She blushed, almost hiding her face, she knew she looked a mess.

"Christ, you're so beautiful." He confessed, unable to contain himself.

"You keep saying that," she shrugged. "Doesn't mean it's true."

Niall moved closer to her, his eyes finding hers, she swallowed slowly, shaking as he seemed to feel protective over her, Ciara stared at his lips, feeling the urge to finally act on her desire for him.

"It's true, love, can't help meself in saying it. Can't help saying how I feel right now..."

"Any minute, I'm going to wake up from this dream," she said, closing her eyes and opening them to find Niall even closer. Her breathing labored, her heart tried to keep up.

"Still here, this is real," he said, Ciara feeling his warm breath fan her face.

She smiled slightly, feeling light as a feather when he gazed at her. Even though he said it was real, everything still felt like a dream. That meant she could control the narrative, if only there was a way she could stay, actually live out her desires with Niall. 

Her tongue dragged slowly across her bottom lip as she stared intently at his lips, wondering when was the right moment to act.

A loud beeping came from the kitchen. Niall reluctantly pulled away, Ciara's nerves came back.

"Fuck, hold on, love," he groaned and jogged toward the kitchen.

She pushed her body up and followed him into the kitchen. She covered her mouth as she watched him fuss over the open fridge, making sure it was still functioning.

"Sorry, I'm laughing. Is everything okay?" She asked, muffled her laughing as she peered behind him as he shut the door, the beeping instantly stopped.

"This was why it's so cold. Had a feeling I fucked it up. Sorry, love," he said, getting the milk out while he was here. "Would you like some hot cocoa? I have marshmallows."

"I'm gonna gain so much weight tonight, part of me doesn't care," she chuckled, joining him as he started to steam the milk and pulled out the mini marshmallows.

"Well, I would have had this either way. Kind of a tradition where I come from. Usually, it's made from egg nog and chocolate. Organic milk is the best way to go." He took out the chocolate, getting ready to mix some into the pot.

Those glasses of his slid down his nose, before she could think of pushing them up, he did it instead. Frowning, she came to the small kitchen table and sat down. She closed her eyes and pinched them with her index finger and thumb. _Don't get close, just don't do it,_ she warned herself.

She pulled away just as Niall brought over their cocoas. She smiled sweetly at him as he took a seat near her. She looked at the marshmallows melting in the hot liquid, slightly mesmerized from how it looked like creamy foam. She brought the mug to her lips and licked it off, swallowing the sweet cream. She moaned and blushed when he looked at her in question.

"I guess that's the best part. This is really good, not as rich as I thought it would be."

"I used dark chocolate, that's why. Healthier than milk chocolate since we're already drinking milk, plus the dairy in marshmallows is more than enough calcium."

"Haha, you can't turn it off, can you?"

"What's that then?"

"Well, so far, everything you're doing is about safety and health, like a doctor would act. I'm not mocking it at all, just, you seem to take your work home with you. Just never met anyone like that. Back in New York, if you talked about work with friends you were either an actor or an artist. Everyone else kinda leaves it behind."

He blushed, "Sorry, I'm overdoing it, it's just been me here for a while. Not used to having company over."

"Well, tomorrow, when I leave, you get to have your life back. I'm sorry I took it away," she said, biting her lip, placing the half-drunk mug down.

He swallowed another drink nervously, "It's okay, no trouble here, love."

She sighed silently, drinking another sip, feeling the warm liquid trickle down her throat, as she checked the time, "It's pretty early in the night, umm, I guess I'm staying here, officially. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is," he said, reaching over to touch her hand with his fingertips.

She noticed but didn't flinch, only stared at the gesture, surprised and amused.

"I told the rental company you were fine for the night. But they were pretty clear they weren't sending anybody out." He continued.

She shrugged, drinking the last of her cocoa, "Guess it's fine for now. As long as it's fine with you, just for tonight. Wouldn't feel right to ask you to stay another night."

"It'd be fine with me." His hand moved inch by inch until he covered his entire hand over hers on the table. "Really? You're welcome to stay if you like."

Blushing, she moved her hand so she was curving it around to hold his, this was exactly what she needed, and he was giving it to her. _Why?_ She had to ask herself.

"Thank you, I don't know what to say," she replied softly, staring into his eyes, wanting to see the colors without his glasses blocking everything. "You've been amazing tonight."

"You're welcome, are you good?" He asked, reluctantly removing his hand from hers to point to her mug.

She nodded, handing him the mug and he cleaned up.

Ciara stood up and came next to him, "Niall?"

He turned around, staring into her eyes, "Hmm?"

"May I use your bathroom?"

He smirked, "Yeah, you don't have to ask. I'll be here."

She smiled and turned around, getting her toiletries, and jogged upstairs to get ready for bed. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, hands, and placed cool water on her neck, feeling just how heated she was being near Niall.

She switched off the light and went downstairs to get some clothes to sleep in. She touched her dirty clothes and realized she was running out of room in her mini compartment that held them in. Would Niall wash her clothes if she asked him? She shook her head, going to another bathroom to change into her soft sleeping clothes.

She balled her dirty clothes up, unlocked the door, and almost crashed into Niall when he lifted his hand to knock.

"Oh, sorry. I was just changing. Might be going to bed soon." She said, awkwardly, fiddling around with her balled up clothes.

"I was just gonna ask ya, umm, do you want me to wash your clothes? Don't mind, was just about to do me own load now. Hmm?" He asked her, raising his brows.

"It's not necessary, I don't know have that much, I—"

"That's perfect. I have more, just need some to fill the load. Is it okay?"

She winced, not wanting to deny him being so nice, "Alright, thank you. You're doing me so many favors tonight."

She handed him her clothes and went to get her other dirty clothes stashed in her suitcase. She walked to the laundry area as Niall stood without his shirt on and in just his boxers. She found herself staring and turned around.

"I'm just gonna leave this here," she breathed out, putting her clothes on the ground and rushed out of there. "Fuck..."

She mentally stabbed herself as she folded her arms across her chest, sitting on the couch in utter embarrassment. Of course, he would want to wash his own clothes, of course, he'd want to walk around as he pleased. It's been too long as she'd seen a guy like that, something was seriously wrong with her. Why was she acting like a juvenile?

She decided to stare at the fire that was more than halfway through its burn show. It did nothing to cool her down. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was soak in a tub of ice to turn down her libido. This should _not_ be happening to her.

She was wrapped up in her own world that she didn't hear the shower upstairs switch on. Her mouth watered as she bit her lip, wondering what was behind the curtain suddenly.

 _No! Stop! You can't do this to yourself, just take care of it in some way_ , she thought. She had time, her hand snaked its way inside her pants, pushing her panties aside, and worked on getting off before the shower turned off.

She rubbed her cunt as fast as she could and found herself red in the face, close to reaching her breaking point. She always took her time, but here, Niall could catch her at any minute. Would that be so bad? She didn't know, she just had to get rid of this desire, now. After another long 2 minutes, she came just as soon as she heard Niall walk out of the shower and casually to his bedroom, presumably to get dressed.

Ciara slipped her hand out and went to wash it quickly. No time to change her panties. She'd have to sleep like that for the rest of the night. Or she could change when he was asleep. Either way, she was stuck. She bit her lip when she saw him come downstairs dressed in blue plaid PJ pants and a white T-shirt.

She tried to not seem like she got herself off and plastered a smile on her face, "Hey, didn't know you were up there."

Niall noticed she looked a little red and out of breath, "Yeah, just wanted to throw mine in the wash with yours, and take a quick one. Thought you heard me when I called out to ya."

"I don't think so, whew," she breathed out, her cheeks were still red as a tomato.

Niall came forward to look at her face, noticing her extreme redness, "Love, are ya alright?"

She felt her cheeks, closing her eyes in humiliation. "Yeah, just a little bit warm, I guess."

Niall reached out to touch her forehead with the back of his hand, "You _are_ warm, I'll go turn down the fire. Sorry about that."

 _No, I'm sorry I couldn't keep it in my pants,_ she thought, grimacing, "Thanks."

She watched him as he turned down the fire, she had to think of something to distract him from her obvious body flush. Soon, she was going to give herself away.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

She was too bothered by what she just did near Niall. She needed a diversion, fast.

"Hey, do you wanna watch a movie?" She asked, eyeing the laundry room, getting an idea.

"Sure, as long as you're not tired. Got any requests?"

"Uhm, something really funny, like— _Dumb and Dumber?"_

"That's hilarious. Sure, I'll get it going," he said, turning his back to get the movie started. "I'll make some popcorn too!"

"Okay!" She shouted back, checking just to make sure his attention was preoccupied.

Ciara quickly went to the laundry room, closed the door, removing her panties dropped them into the washer just before the cycle started. She pulled up her pants, left the room, and rushed out to her suitcase to grab a new pair of panties when she stopped suddenly at Niall's voice.

"Hey, ya okay?"

She winced, turning around to smile, "Yeah, was just gonna get my dirty clothes. Oh, wait—"

She wanted to smack her forehead against the wall in pure stupidity.

"Think we already got those," he chuckled, waving her over. "The movie's ready to go."

"Yeah," She said slowly, nodding.

And now she was stuck without any underwear, _great,_ she thought, "I'll join you."

He grinned, turning around toward the living room.

She thought about her suitcase but rushed to the living room as Niall turned off the lights and pressed play. Too little too late.

Ciara sat down slowly on a corner of the couch awkwardly as the opening scene played.

She locked eyes with Niall as he moved a little closer to her, blushing in spite of herself. She rubbed her neck as she crossed her legs. Biting her lip, she tried to focus on the movie and not on the fact that she had no panties on and was still somewhat turned on from her recent self-gratification session, especially around the man who incited such a feeling.

Niall brought the bowl of popcorn between them, "Ya like buttered popcorn?"

"Yeah, I do," Ciara said and began sinking into the couch, smirking as she took a handful of kernels, popping a couple in her mouth. "Thanks, I haven't seen this movie in years. Especially the part with the dogs."

Niall started to relax when he saw her body language loosen up, he grabbed more popcorn, throwing some in his mouth, "I think this is the unrated version, sorry if you wanted to see the other version."

Her eyes bugged, _not good, abort_ , she thought, "Umm, don't recall seeing this one. Is there any sex?" She could really kick herself for sounding so lame.

He almost choked on one of the kernels, "Umm, I don't remember, never seen it actually meself. Guess we'll find out."

 _Fantastic,_ she thought, as if she couldn't get any more turned on than she already was. She shoveled another handful of popcorn in her mouth and tried to focus on the comedy parts.

Sooner than she thought, she was starting to have a good time. The raunchy parts were more silly slapstick than sexual. Just more college, juvenile jokes.

She absentmindedly reached for more popcorn when she grabbed skin instead, Niall's skin, more specifically, his hand as he reached for the last piece before her. She turned to him, embarrassed as she quickly let go, taking hold of the napkin to wipe her buttery hand. She sucked on her bottom lip, avoiding Niall's eyes.

"You take it, love," Niall's deep voice reverberated throughout her body.

She turned her face and realized Niall close to her ear, she stared at his lips, then in his eyes. He didn't move, he just kept staring. Sharply, she turned her face.

"It's okay, you take it, I'm fine," Ciara said in a small voice, suddenly wishing she grabbed her panties in time.

Of all the times to think about dirty things, it had to be now. She really needed more than just one release, maybe he could help with that. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and stood up quickly. He looked at her in a confused way.

"Oh, umm, I need to use the bathroom," she said, her face getting redder from her urge to make firmly finish the job her fingers couldn't.

 _I'm so pathetic_ , she thought. Niall just laughed at her, but not to mock her, in a playful way.

"Yeah, go ahead," he said slowly, glasses slipped again, her hand shook to push them higher but she pulled away.

She turned around and rushed to her suitcase, unzipping it to pull out her panties. She closed it and slipped around the corner to pull them on, fixing her PJ pants up. She let out a breath, realizing she needed to get back before he checked on her, he'd probably do that. Being a doctor and all, _a really fucking attractive one_ , she thought.

She made her way back to the couch as the movie was almost over. Niall turned to look at her, smiling.

"Ya alright?"

Ciara nodded, feeling a little better now that she was less naked and less tempted to touch herself in front of a complete stranger. Where was all this behavior coming from? That's right, she's alone, what else could it be?

She pulled her hair out of the braid, running her hands through her nearly almost dried hair. Her neck felt incredibly hot and her heart raced. This wasn't working.

As the ending played, Niall shifted in his seat, facing her, switching off the end credits.

"That was a good craic. Did yeh like that?" Niall asked her, leaning back to stretch his muscles.

"Yeah, that was hilarious," she said, _now what? Am I going to stare at him for the rest of the night?_ She asked herself.

"Are ya feeling tired?" He asked her, pausing to rub his neck. "What else would you like to do?"

Ciara opened her mouth, finding it difficult to speak, she gestured while blushing, "Umm, I don't know...I guess I could get ready for bed. But, I mean, I don't want to tell you what to do. You're the doctor, after all—" He interrupted her, placing his hand over hers.

"Love, it's alright, just tell me what you want to do," he said softly, Irish accent elongated and beautiful to her.

She stared at his lip, then on his eyes, _if he only knew,_ she thought, "Umm, going to bed sounds great. I may have an early morning ahead of me."

Niall nodded slowly, "Alright, go on and use the toilet. Take your time."

"Thank you," she smiled, gripping his hand, not moving to get up. She looked down, turning red as she let go of his hand, "Sorry, umm, I'll go get ready."

She moved to get up and walked upstairs, disappearing into the bathroom.

Niall ran his hand over his face, smelling her scent. Wrong move, he felt himself grow hard from just a simple thing. No way he could go to bed like this. He stared up before pulling his pants down, taking out his hard cock pumping as fast as he could, quicker than he normally would if he was alone.

He was on a time clock, he had to hurry. He pumped his shaft so hard he heard wet sounds, indicating he was close. He leaned his head back and shut his eyes, cumming over his hand, taking a breath to compose himself.

He stood up and saw the door was still shut, and he walked over to the half bathroom, washing his hand. He tucked himself back in and went back to sit down on the couch. He blew out some air and stood up, frustrated, waiting for her to come out. His medical instincts kicked in as he sprung upstairs and knocked gently on the door, anxious.

"Ciara? Love? Ya alright?" He asked through the door.

"Yeah, sorry, I really love your shower. Couldn't help myself," she said, giggling as he definitely heard the shower running.

He smiled, reaching for the handle, pulling it slightly open, but closing it, "Fuck, oh yeah, I'll be in me room if ya need me."

"Okay, thanks," She moaned, he could have been hearing things but it sounded so attractive to him.

He shut the door and disappeared into his room, making his way to his bathroom for round two of a bigger situation.

* * *

Ciara decided she really loved Niall's shower and relieved herself twice in a row. She bit her lip and nearly shouted her release, her eyes bugging when she heard him call out to her. Eyes expanding as she heard the knocking.

"Ciara? Love, ya alright?" Niall said through the door, she blushed even though he couldn't see her.

"Yeah, sorry, I really love your shower. Couldn't help myself," she giggled, slightly embarrassed she was so forthcoming.

 _Was the door opening?_ She thought. "Oh yeah, I'll be in me room if ya need me."

 _I need you now,_ she thought, her hand slipping down for another round of touching herself. "Okay, thanks."

She got herself off again and washed her body, reluctantly turning off the warm water. She stepped out and instantly jumped into a soft towel. Her teeth clattered as she dried her shivering body off. Suddenly, the chill hit her skin giving her goosebumps.

Could she ask Niall for a bigger blanket? She asked herself as she got dressed. Now was the time she needed her sweater. It was back downstairs and she didn't feel like going there. Chalk it up to pure laziness.

She hung up the towel to dry and opened the door. She hugged her shoulders, the draft hit her sharply. She looked around on the second floor, wondering where Niall's room was.

"Looking for me, love?" Niall asked behind her.

She knew she just passed it, feeling embarrassed, she turned around, holding her shoulders, more to keep herself warm.

"Yeah, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you have a bigger blanket? Feeling a little..."

"Cold? Sure, give me a second." He went to the cabinet of linens, everything was so neatly organized.

He grabbed one and brought it over, "You know, the spare room is a little chilly. You're welcome to take me room and I'll take the couch. Up to you?"

Ciara nearly said yes, that sounded so good right now, _would the bed include him?_ She asked herself. She smiled, moving her hair away from her face. But she had a feeling she was taking over his life, now his bed. Breathing in his scent might be dangerous.

"I'm alright, thank you," she said, taking the blanket from his hands. "You've been amazing tonight, I'll never forget it."

Niall smiled shyly, blushing, "Welcome, love. You sure?"

She nodded, feeling slightly down.

"Okay, umm, goodnight."

"Goodnight..."

She nodded, feeling sad the day was over and she'll be gone by tomorrow. Niall made a move to press his lips against her cheek. Feeling instantly warmer until he pulled away to wave at her and disappeared in his room.

She sighed, almost moving toward his door, she didn't want the night to end, but she was the one who called for it.

She frowned, going to the guest room, shutting the door halfway. She switched on the light and placed the blanket on the bed. Folding the covers over, she sat down, looking around the empty room. Niall wasn't lying, the room was pretty cold even with the extra comforter. But that wasn't it, Ciara didn't want to be alone. Not tonight, not when he was just in the room over.

This was scary, asking him something like this. She stood up, moving to the hallway, she stopped. Was she bothering him? Maybe, not really, he said if she needed anything she just needed to ask him, and she needed something alright.

Ciara pushed the already open door slightly more open and spied Niall laying down, his eyes closed, face loose, his body slumped to the side, glasses removed. He looked so peaceful and she felt awful for coming in and bothering him. She bit her lip, wincing as she found herself moving forward, this was wrong, she had no right to barge in here, unannounced and interrupt his sleep. _Just deal with it, go back to sleep,_ she thought.

She sighed and turned around.

"Don't leave..." Niall begged, his voice soft as feather. "Don't leave me."

She stood frozen, he can't be talking to her, right? She quivered, as much as she wanted it to be true, she had no idea what or who he was dreaming about. Maybe a lost love, an unrequited someone he never confessed his feelings to. It wouldn't be her. This was wrong, she was invading his personal space.

Ciara found herself turning around when she heard him groan, maybe he was having a nightmare. What's the one thing you do when you see something battling in their sleep? Do you wake them up? How does it work? Her brain told her to leave him be, her heart, not a chance.

She moved closer until she reached the bed, wondering if she should move even closer. Niall's brows knitted together, something was wrong. He began thrashing, almost shark-like, clutching his stomach, Ciara shivered, he was in pain, she had to do something. But what? Instinct. Eyes. Touch. She reached out to touch his cheek when he moved to her side, almost automatically, he stopped, his own hand over hers.

Ciara swallowed, she can't let go, not now, there's no going back. She was lunged forward, not by her volition, by Niall's as he pulled her on top of him, eyes still closed, his mouth curled upward like he claimed something, someone. Her? She didn't know, couldn't tell, he was asleep. Ciara's shaky breathing smothered his face, hovering above hers. He was completely on top of her. His mouth parted, tongue darted out to drag across his bottom lip. Ciara didn't know what to say. What are you supposed to say when this happened?

"Mine, you're mine," he whispered, eyes still closed, appeared to be dreaming, Ciara braced herself for what happened next.

Niall dove for her neck, pressing his soft lips against the curve she only knew to be so sensitive. She shivered, her arms linked around his broad shoulders, fingers reaching up the nape of his neck touching the ends of his soft hair. She closed her eyes as her heart raced, if this wasn't heaven, she didn't know what was. Indescribable bliss took over her body, Niall's erection pressed against her thigh, the thin fabric of her PJ pants not doing much to hide it. She nearly bucked her hips.

"Mmm," she moaned, holding onto his as he worked his way all over her neck, kissing every inch of her open, heated skin, leaving nothing unturned.

"Knew you'd taste amazing," Niall murmured, pausing to rise up, his face in front of hers.

She looked at his swollen lips, biting her lip, wanting to close the gap herself but stopped as soon as Niall's eyes sprang open. She gasped as he moved off her, horrified at what just took place.

"Christ, fuck, am so sorry," he looked down, standing from the bed, running his hand through his hair. "Had no idea."

Ciara gulped, seeing how scared he was, pacing across the room, looking ashamed of himself at what just took place. Somehow that hurt her, it shouldn't.

"It's okay, Niall," she said, moving off the bed to touch his shoulder, getting him to stop moving frantically. "Niall?"

He finally stopped and looked at her briefly before sitting on the edge of the bed. He stared around the room, feeling embarrassed, even worse, his erection was still very much a problem.

"Sorry...I don't know what happened. I wasn't—" he caught her eyes searching into his. "... _thinking_. I wasn't even awake. Can't believe I just did that."

Ciara frowned, feeling awful that her simple touch, or so she thought, had triggered this. It was her fault, not his, and he clearly was sorry. Maybe they could just forget about it. But that was the problem, she couldn't, she wasn't sure about him.

She came closer and sat next to him, "It's okay, everything's alright. You didn't hurt me at all."

He looked at her with concern in his blue eyes, "I didn't?"

She shook her head with a slight smile. _God, he's so attractive when he is vulnerable. I swear, I'm going straight to hell for even thinking this_ , she thought. She looked at his hand, aching to touch him or have him touch her again. Would she scare him off if she asked this time? He looked pretty scared of what he just did, she pushed the thought away.

"Umm, I didn't, well—I just came in here to say something. Or, not say, _ask_."

His eyes narrowed, "Everything alright?"

She nodded, "Well, was just wondering, you can say no, this is your room and, your house, I was just wondering...oh God, this is so wrong of me to ask you this."

"It's okay love, ask me anything, go on then..." He urged, placed his hand over hers.

An electric jolt went through her just now when he just touched her again, she wanted more. She looked at him through her eyelashes, her eyes dropping to his lips, she dragged them up to his eyes, finding it hard to betray her heart's desire. She risked it, now or never.

"Can I please sleep in your bed tonight?"

He looked relieved, curving his hold around her hand completely, "Of course, anything. Here, umm, you can take it now and I will go—" he began to stand up but she brought her other hand to pull him back down.

"No, it's not right. Stay here, I don't want to be alone tonight." She said, her voice quaking, forcing tears back.

Niall found it hard to look at her and she suspected why, she had a grip on his hand, then loosened it as he sat back down, sighing, understanding what was going on.

"Alright, are you sure?"

She nodded, "Please?"

Niall brought his hand to cup her face, she looked fragile, like she might break in two. After what just happened, he knew he should keep his distance, give her space, but not now. Not when she needed him, as he needed her.

"Alright, I'll go shut the light off in the other room, you can get inside the covers and I'll be back. Hmm?"

Ciara smiled, her eyes shining, she couldn't believe what just happened. He didn't want to leave her, that much was true. As she watched him disappear into the other room to switch off the lights, she turned to unfold the bed, slowly slipping into the white satin sheets, fluffing the pillows on both sides. She was about to lay down when he appeared, smiling her way. He moved over and switched off his lamplight, moving the covers on his end over so he can get in. He made sure to give her plenty of space in the king-sized bed.

"Are ya alright?"

"Yes, thanks, I'm sorry, I don't feel it's right to kick you out of your own bed." She smiled, turning to her side to look at him.

"I was just wanting to give ya privacy, it's only fair, yeh?"

"It wouldn't be fair to you. I think your fire is out downstairs. And your room is really warm." She grinned, laughing gently.

"Haha, well, I'm glad. Let me know if you need anything else?" Niall said, even in the darkness she could still see how beautiful his eyes are.

"Goodnight, love," he whispered.

"Goodnight, Niall, thank you," she said, her voice above a whisper as she felt his hand touch hers under the covers.

Silence took over until Niall sighed heavily, something was still bothering him and he had to say something.

"I am really sorry about earlier. Was so wrong of me." Niall said, his face pinched intensely.

 _Wrong, of course, it was,_ she thought and sighed, almost sad that he was admitting he was sorry for what he just did. Now she could feel her heart begin to crack. She turned her body around. Maybe sleeping without looking directly at him will help to get through the rest of the night. Of course, he regretted it. He wasn't even dreaming of her, how could she think he was?

"It's fine..." she said, no, she wasn't going to cry, but she did, her silent tears fell on the pillow and she'd give anything to have him hold her right now, but he didn't want to, maybe. "I'll be gone tomorrow, let's just get some sleep."

 _No, that is not what I meant,_ he thought.

"Babe?" Niall asked, his voice was fully awake. "Love?"

"Hmm?" Her fingers wiped her eyes subtly.

His fingertips touched her shoulder, "Babe? Please look at me?"

Ciara didn't want to, there was no way she'd let him see her now. It was better they go to sleep then have it lead to further embarrassment and more rejection.

"I'm okay, really, we should sleep," she said, her voice breaking as Niall's hand was fully on her shoulder, not forcing her to turn around, but she felt his urge to.

"Ciara, I can hear it in your voice. Turn around, it's okay, I'm right here, not going anywhere." Niall spoke sternly, his protectiveness scared her suddenly.

She licked her lips, slowly turning to face him, keeping her eyes down so he wouldn't see her tear streaks, too late, his fingers lifted her chin so he could actually see her. Even in the dark, he could make out her tears, it broke his heart.

"Babe, what's wrong? Tell me." He begged.

She shrugged, feeling like she might sob even more with him asking, "I'm fine, really, let's go to sleep."

Niall wasn't convinced, something about her voice didn't feel right, "Come 'ere."

Her eyes expanded. "What?"

"I wanna hold ya, could feel the bed shakin'. It's alright," he said, touching her hand.

 _Oh no, the tears are coming back,_ she thought. "Niall..."

He managed to make her body turn into mush in mere seconds as he moved closer, closing the gap between their bodies. He was nervous too, but she needed him, he just knew it.

She looked at his open arms, wincing as more tears had fallen down her cheeks. She nearly wiped them, but his thumbs had gotten there first.

"Don't love, don't cry, come 'ere." He said gently, keeping his arms open to her.

"I don't want to burden you, I'm fine, really. I'm just—I don't know what I am. I'm fine now." She lied, attempting to turn her body but he placed his hand on her hips, halting her in place.

"I need you in me arms, you're not a burden to me, not at all. Love?" He moved his hand to her cheek, her face slowly looking at him.

Her body was fully shaking and she willed herself to stop but it didn't work. Niall's open arms got closer until she flung her own arms around his neck, he completely enveloped her against him, her chilly body flush against his. She moaned, taking in his scent, her eyes clouded, was she dreaming? Did that mean she could control what happened?

"After tomorrow, you won't have to see me again. I'm so sorry, Niall..."

"Love, please stop, focus on taking deep breaths, you're panicking. Focus your mind on something calm. Lean into me, further." He spoke quietly, cradling her body against him. "Don't think, okay? Just your mind..."

She said nothing as she clung to his warm body, smelling his pheromones in the crook of his neck, being seduced by his raw scent. No, wrong, she was upset, not the right time for this. But what if he desired her also? No, they can't, it's all going to be over tomorrow.

"Listen to me heartbeat, it's okay, deep breaths. In and out, slowly, take yer time, love, no rush. Imagine you're somewhere peaceful, around water, a stream, a river, a soft ocean, any place that makes you calm. Ease yer grip just a little, let go, that's it, keep going, listen to me voice, slip away, I'm not leaving you. You're safe," Niall cooed in her ear, pausing to feel her pull away slightly, in a somewhat daze.

She sighed heavily and slowly, another deep breath took her to a new place, one she wanted to stay in forever. A place of just being. She moaned softly, feeling light, almost hypnotized by the sound of his voice.

Carefully, she opened her eyes, focusing them on Niall's oceanic iris, getting lost in their depths. He seemed to be staring at her as well, with the same curiousness she felt. She shouldn't be staring at his lips but it happened and he watched her, the corners of his mouth lifting.

He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, wiping any fresh tears before they fell. She placed her hand over his, feeling his warmth caress her gently, just like she had when she touched his cheek when he was dreaming.

"Thank you..." she said, her voice trailing off, she wanted to say more, but she was tongue-tied.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah, I am. Felt like magic, what just happened." Ciara said, bringing his hand off her face to hold it loosely.

He laughed softly, "It's something I do with me patients, to calm their blood pressure when they get panic attacks. Takes time, doesn't always work, depends, suppose. I'm no psychologist, but it's similar to what they do. I'm glad it worked with you."

She nodded, biting her lip, "Think I'm ready to sleep, finally."

He laughed, bringing her hand up to press a kiss on top. "Okay, love, bit tired meself."

She turned around, fixing the covers firmly over her body, finding the day complete, just one thing was missing.

"Niall?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you hold me?" Ciara's small voice asked.

She couldn't see him but she felt his body come closer until he placed his strong arms around her, feeling his hot breath against her neck. He closed the gap and placed his chin on her shoulder, she closed her eyes as she heard him take in her scent, she didn't mean to, but her moan was pretty clear.

"What a day, yeh?" Niall said, she could see him smile behind her shoulders.

 _And it was over,_ she thought, "It was definitely nice, goodnight, Niall,"

"Goodnight, Ciara."

Being in his arms, she let her mind drift off, knowing that nothing she dreamt of could compare to everything that happened today.


End file.
